Seminole County Projects

[spenser1058]

The City of Casselberry is building a new public works complex with two buildings totaling about 47,000sf on 7th Street:

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2021/02/12/city-of-casselberry-new-public-works-building.html?ana=maz

From OBJ

[spenser1058]

1935 Sanford-Orlando Kennel Club demolition under way. It will be replaced by 340+ apartments and other amenities in Longwood across from Lyman High:

As slice of old Seminole disappears, Longwood looks forward to new development
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-prem-longwood-greyhound-dog-track-development-20210213-xx3epsfl55d4fnqe7vp7xdwffy-story.html

From The Sentinel  

Edited February 14, 2021 by spenser1058

[Jerry95]

18 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

1935 Sanford-Orlando Kennel Club demolition under way. It will be replaced by 340+ apartments and other amenities in Longwood across from Lyman High:

As slice of old Seminole disappears, Longwood looks forward to new development
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-prem-longwood-greyhound-dog-track-development-20210213-xx3epsfl55d4fnqe7vp7xdwffy-story.html

From The Sentinel  

There’s a line where Longwood Commissioner Matt Morgan says “Look, I’m not a big fan of apartments” and I really need some context to know if he means on the site or in general.

[spenser1058]

24 minutes ago, Jerry95 said:

There’s a line where Longwood Commissioner Matt Morgan says “Look, I’m not a big fan of apartments” and I really need some context to know if he means on the site or in general.

I’m guessing he’s trying to cover himself since Longwood is a primarily single-family suburban community and most of the voters probably have a reflexive dislike for multifamily .

[spenser1058]

A proposed 19-story apartment tower in Altamonte is a step closer to breaking ground today:

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2021/05/24/new-apartment-altamonte-springs-gilbane.html?ana=maz

From OBJ

 

Looks like the Majesty Building may have to appeal to an, ummmm, Higher Authority or it may not be the first Seminole County tower to be completed after all.

 

[spenser1058]

SAVE THE TREE!

Seminole looks at stronger tree protection rules
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-seminole-county-developers-tree-restrictions-20210529-xqspwwndsjcc7pen254i35hcpe-story.html

"The southern yellow pine is near and dear to my heart,” Zembower said. “For those folks that want palm trees, you go down south on I-95 and you can have all of them you want…They’re just not Seminole County.”"

Seminole County- The Natural Choice 

 

From The Sentinel 

Edited May 31, 2021 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Seminole County is buying two more golf courses for eventual conversion into parks:

From The Sentinel 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-seminole-county-golf-courses-wekiva-deer-run-20210727-xxhovnp47fgpfd6agkoina2uxu-story.html

It’s, ummmm, Florida’s Natural Choice!

[jrs2]

On 5/24/2021 at 5:51 PM, spenser1058 said:

A proposed 19-story apartment tower in Altamonte is a step closer to breaking ground today:

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2021/05/24/new-apartment-altamonte-springs-gilbane.html?ana=maz

From OBJ

 

Looks like the Majesty Building may have to appeal to an, ummmm, Higher Authority or it may not be the first Seminole County tower to be completed after all.

 

Ugh...the Superchannel 55 shills and the DeVos clan...

If it wasn't for my mom telling me that every time she would watch that station and someone like Claude Bowers or the like would pimp The Majesty Bldg., stating something like "oh please give us $$$ to finish God's tower..."  Who is this guy, some Babylonian king? LOL.

They've been pimping The Majesty not just in 2003 and 2008...but they've been pimping it as recently as 2019 and later.  Can you believe this? 

It is so despicable what they're doing.  My mom agrees at their collective despicablosity. 

Yes, if they can ask people for money to build this, then I can create my own lexicon!

[spenser1058]

Here’s hoping Congressperson Stephanie Murphy can save the Little Wekiva since FDOT can’t be bothered:

U.S. Congresswoman Murphy gets closer look at Little Wekiva River disaster
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-murphy-little-wekiva-river-epa-20210811-jyavqgmndbfnjj3ht365h7bafm-story.html

From The Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

Sanford’s downtown marina may be in for major changes after next May:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-sanford-marina-disrepair-20211113-fvpvrvkl4fg5pje3btgkdzv4wi-story.html

The city’s downtown lakefront is its focal point (and its location on the river almost made Sanford the seat of Orange County - imagine how that might have changed history) and deserves as much love as possible.

From The Sentinel 

Edited November 13, 2021 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

“Orange County’s little brother no more” - the Sentinel looks at the changes in Seminole over the last two decades:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-prem-seminole-county-20-years-look-back-20211124-gzp2xpubundp3aypuqx7obwwk4-story.html

[spenser1058]

Seminole County will move forward with plans to move the courthouse and county government offices out of downtown Sanford:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-prem-seminole-county-five-points-complex-20211223-pdw6hdtfgzf6vdtxlrlpjsqaei-story.html

From The Sentinel 

The move will be done in phases over a decade.

 

[spenser1058]

How about a high-end mixed-use development with gaming and entertainment on the site of the old Jai Alai fronton in Fern Park?

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-poker-gambling-seminole-county-jai-alai-20211221-sk46r44c2jcgvf3dwbv6yc3eu4-story.html

From The Sentinel 
 

[angela1117]

From the Sentinel article re The Seminole County Services Building:

Then in 2025, Seminole will begin designs of a new county administration building. A preliminary plan shows it will likely stand four stories, about 215,000 square feet, and sit at the south end of the Five Points Complex. A consultant’s report estimated the cost at $80 million.

But county commissioners have yet to review design plans or agree when to move forward on that project, Jreij said.

Still, the new building will replace the existing two-story, 80,000-square-foot administration building at the eastern end of First Street in downtown Sanford. That building was the former Seminole Memorial Hospital building until the early 1980s when it was modified to hold the county offices.

A recent consultant’s report showed the 60-year-old administration building is in “critical” shape and needs about $6.8 million worth of needed maintenance, including replacing an “obsolete” electrical system that would be “difficult to locate in an emergency.”

Calling that building critical is an understatement. I worked in it  and ran a dehumidifier everyday.  So gross. Luckily my job kept me out of the office most of the day. In real life it's a 3 story building.

We knew not to take the elevators cause they would just stop. 

A/C and heat were unreliable to the point where it was so hot in our office one summer day we used a thermometer "gun" and got a temp of 105. Always freezing in the winter. I have to give the maintenance guys credit, they were always really nice.

Restroom ventilation? Fuggedaboutit!

The best part of that building is its location on the Sanford Riverwalk...great for an after work let I-4 calm down walk before the awful commute back downtown. 

My retirement helped the situation immensely 

 

 

[JFW657]

More about the old Jai Alai fronton development plan.

With no paywall.

Mixed use complex with live events venue, residential units and entertainment, restaurant, retail and gambling.

The nimbys are fighting it based on density issues.

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/seminole-county/developers-look-revamp-jai-alai-building-fern-park-into-retail-residential-gambling-space/QUEPLXTTURD4XBO7SKC24LRTQU/

.

Edited December 27, 2021 by JFW657

[AmIReal]

On 12/27/2021 at 1:27 PM, JFW657 said:

More about the old Jai Alai fronton development plan.

With no paywall.

Mixed use complex with live events venue, residential units and entertainment, restaurant, retail and gambling.

The nimbys are fighting it based on density issues.

They were asking County Commissioners to place this on the next ballot, to allow for the gaming room on site. The Commision voted yesterday to NOT do that but told the developer they could go out and collect the 25k signatures to place it on the ballot. This likely is the end of this project- at least in the near term.

Btw, this was not a small time project. The developer is the Cordish Group and they have done a lot of this work elsewhere.

Playing off the @HankStrongpost in the Fashion Square topic, I wouldn't mind seeing something like this there (except the traffic nightmares it would cause).

[spenser1058]

It’s not quite paradise as Seminole County seeks to relocate courts and other government services to a 123-acre campus in the ‘burbs:

 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-seminole-county-courthouse-renovation-space-20220406-mwhfqv6lmzgzxlercr46kvhe3a-story.html

From The Sentinel 

 

 

[codypet]

Just when the trend is to move everything back into down, Seminole tries that.

[spenser1058]

7 minutes ago, codypet said:

Just when the trend is to move everything back into down, Seminole tries that.

This has been going on for a few years now with one problem after another. Just last month it was an issue with the proposed SoE office. I think they’re too far in to change course now but it’s a shame what a hash they’ve made of it. Had they stayed downtown (and there’s plenty of empty land just outside the small core), they could have made quite a difference. 

Seminole long ago lost their old courthouse (the ‘70’s replacement looks like a bunker). Kudos to Volusia and Osceola for preserving theirs. Even OC learned after the pushback over demolishing the 1895 courthouse and found a great reuse for the 1927 one.
 

[AmIReal]

Downtown Sanford may be having too much fun- "City looks at turning down the volume". "Sanford has invested millions of dollars and city staff time over the past decade toward creating a lively downtown filled with restaurants and entertainment, in effect attracting visitors from across the region on weekend nights.

But city leaders now worry that Sanford’s booming core has led to too many rowdy people gathering in the streets and loud music vibrating windows of nearby homes into the early morning hours."

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-sanford-downtown-noise-ordinance-20220407-6rbk7ve5mzhvfihpgvlaektc2y-story.html

Hey kids- get off my lawn...!!!

[spenser1058]

13 minutes ago, AmIReal said:

Downtown Sanford may be having too much fun- "City looks at turning down the volume". "Sanford has invested millions of dollars and city staff time over the past decade toward creating a lively downtown filled with restaurants and entertainment, in effect attracting visitors from across the region on weekend nights.

But city leaders now worry that Sanford’s booming core has led to too many rowdy people gathering in the streets and loud music vibrating windows of nearby homes into the early morning hours."

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/seminole-county/os-ne-sanford-downtown-noise-ordinance-20220407-6rbk7ve5mzhvfihpgvlaektc2y-story.html

Hey kids- get off my lawn...!!!

It would be interesting to see how (DeLightful!) DeLand and WG seem to be avoiding this problem better than some other places. Downtown Orlando, the Seabreeze District in Daytona and now Downtown Sanford have all had variations of the problem. I wonder what’s different between the former and the latter?

Maybe it’s as simple as which type of establishments you choose to emphasize. Disney, of course, solved its problem by closing the bars of Pleasure Island (I did think losing the Adventurers’ Club was a bridge too far but I’m told that had more to do with cost) in favor of the more diverse and less concentration on the 18-25 age cohort with the conversion to Disney Springs.

Edited April 8, 2022 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Been missing the ‘70’s? ( @HankStrong, show us your leisure suit!) That fashion-challenged decade is alive and well at three throwback steakhouses in Sanford:

T-bone time machine, an old school steak-out in Sanford | Review
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/food-restaurants/os-et-old-school-sanford-steakhouses-restaurant-review-orlando-amy-drew-thompson-20220609-5muinasvd5htpakmie5jaoua2y-story.html

From The Sentinel 
 

[angela1117]

I worked in Sanford for 14 years and drove by The Cattle Ranch at least twice a day and always thought it looked sort of abandoned. Then again, I can count the times I was in Sanford after 5 on one hand so I'm probably not the best one to talk about this. LOL

[HankStrong]

16 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Been missing the ‘70’s? ( @HankStrong, show us your leisure suit!) That fashion-challenged decade is alive and well at three throwback steakhouses in Sanford:

T-bone time machine, an old school steak-out in Sanford | Review
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/food-restaurants/os-et-old-school-sanford-steakhouses-restaurant-review-orlando-amy-drew-thompson-20220609-5muinasvd5htpakmie5jaoua2y-story.html

From The Sentinel 
 

The 70s for me were years of corduroys and plaid.  Also remarkably short shorts and remarkably tall socks.

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, HankStrong said:

The 70s for me were years of corduroys and plaid.  Also remarkably short shorts and remarkably tall socks.

Yeah, we were all guilty of those 70's fashion crimes...